Tuesday, February 9, 2021

900: Let's Co-operate.....

What is our current social organization? You have a brilliant idea of making some product/ You find someone with a lot of money that helps you set up a production plant.

   

You start a company and the primary goal is the maximization of profits to the benefit of the supplier of the capital and yourself.

   

Maybe it is a somewhat simplistic description of the neoliberal style of current economics, but I guess it comes close to reality. Correct me if I am wrong.

   

The result is that the means of production are in the hands of just a few and the profits mainly disappear too in the pockets of the view.

   

Milton Friedman was in this context the most outspoken. Companies have only one goal, the maximization of profits without any social responsibility.

 

Isn't there any alternative for this production system? In fact, there is. Instead of extreme competition, there is the option of co-operation.

  

On the site of the International Co-operative Alliance, we find an answer.

   

-quote- Cooperatives are people-centered enterprises owned, controlled, and run by and for their members to realize their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations.

   

Cooperatives bring people together in a democratic and equal way. Whether the members are the customers, 

  

employees, users or residents, cooperatives are democratically managed by the 'one member, one vote' rule. 

  

Members share equal voting rights regardless of the amount of capital they put into the enterprise. 

  

As businesses driven by values, not just profit, cooperatives share internationally agreed principles and act together to build a better world through cooperation. 

  

Putting fairness, equality and social justice at the heart of the enterprise, cooperatives around the world are allowing people to work together to create sustainable enterprises that generate long-term jobs and prosperity. 

   

Cooperatives allow people to take control of their economic future and, because they are not owned by shareholders, the economic and social benefits of their activity stay in the communities where they are established. 

  

Profits generated are either reinvested in the enterprise or returned to the members. 


The cooperative movement is far from being a marginal phenomenon, at least 12% of humanity is a cooperator of any of the 3 million cooperatives on earth. -end quote-

  

The quintessence is that people get together to guarantee the possibility to earn a decent living, help and protect each other and value life instead of making as much profit as possibles.

  

As you see, we can make the world a better place without this cold-blooded neoliberal view of man as a homo economicus.



  

MacMillan The Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2nd edition
Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 1995
 http://plato.stanford.edu/contents.htm
Gabriel van den Brink:"Ruw Ontwaken uit een Neoliberale Droom",, 2020

   

   

The Discussion


[13:17] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): Thank you Herman

[13:17] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako):

[13:18] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): indeed that is a solution

[13:18] herman Bergson: It is already at work in Europe Bejiita...

[13:18] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): do you know a compagnie that works that way?

[13:19] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): working together, not against each other

[13:19] herman Bergson: Boerenbond, RABOBank.....

[13:19] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): Vlisco

[13:19] herman Bergson: There are many co-operations

[13:19] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): that too already in the early 50

[13:19] oola Neruda: I've run into alot of food coops in the US...

[13:19] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): here mostly food stores is what i think of. Then how this works in mot sure but we have one properly named Coop and also there was one named Konsum before

[13:20] oola Neruda: usually in university towns

[13:20] herman Bergson: yes...it's from the 19th century actually

[13:20] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): aaa fod stores seem to be common but not so much other businesses

[13:20] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): they have good healthcare for the workers, good assurances

[13:21] herman Bergson: That is the point.....care for each other

[13:21] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): yes

[[13:21] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ah

[13:21] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): still it's not common among the factories

[13:22] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): nope

[13:22] oola Neruda: there are a few farm coops

[13:22] oola Neruda: especially when they need to store grain

[13:22] herman Bergson: it isn't, but it is a way to get rid of this neoliberalism as the only economic philosophy

[13:23] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): but when I make my stuff at least I think that it is not just for profit but for nice gren and fun to play golf courses and other outdoor activities

[13:23] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): Padel have really thrown a big boom now

[13:23] herman Bergson: Padel ???

[13:24] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): the problem is that money is still a religion

[13:24] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): Its like a combination of Tennis and Squash

[13:24] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): all new sport taking the world by storm

[13:24] herman Bergson: Interesting....new to me Bejiita

[13:24] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): they play it here too

[13:25] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): its basically a tennis court within a cage so u can bounce the ball at the walls although really need to hit the ball hard to do so

[13:25] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): otherwise just the same as regular tennis what i see

[13:25] CB Axel: Sounds a bit like racketball.

[13:25] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): but that's not what a cooperation is

[13:25] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): except the racket looks very different

[13:25] CB Axel: I used to play racketball. :)

[13:26] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): it can make u cooperative through joy

[13:26] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): that's for sure

[13:26] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako):

[13:26] herman Bergson: Well Beertje....you have to be competitive AND cooperative in sport games

[13:26] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Padel_(sport)

[13:26] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): yes

[13:27] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): we are going to build over 30 courts this year!

[13:27] herman Bergson: Not bad....

[13:27] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): the question is WHERE do we have space for all material

[13:28] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): at the factory

[13:28] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): all arriving at once

[13:28] herman Bergson: That is not a philosophical problem Bejiita ^_^

[13:28] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): well that is not my issue as long i can park the car

[13:29] oola Neruda: there are child care coops too

[13:29] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): but are we a cooperative, i say no

[13:29] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): but also not many others do what we do here

[13:29] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): to cooperate with

[13:29] herman Bergson: I guess it was an easy lesson today...introducing the idea of co-operation instead of blind competition

[13:29] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): well the idea is ice

[13:30] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): we need to make stuff but we should do it more for the (needed) stuff and not make money only

[13:31] herman Bergson: Brings us to the other fallacy of neoliberal economics.....the need for economic growth

[13:31] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): TO THE SHAREHOLDERS!

[13:31] herman Bergson: Indeed....co=operations don't need that pressure

[13:31] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): nope

[13:32] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): economy can't grow forever

[13:32] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): nope

[13:32] herman Bergson: Maybe my next project will deal with that theme Beertje

[13:33] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): what is the next project?

[13:33] herman Bergson: Could be fun.....

[13:33] herman Bergson: Maybe "The Belief in Economic Growth"

[13:33] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): fun project

[13:33] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): or the MORE MORE MORE syndrome

[13:33] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): :))

[13:34] herman Bergson: Better title Bejiita :-)

[13:34] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako):

[13:35] herman Bergson: If you do not have any more questions or remarks, we could end our co-operation for the moment :-)

[13:35] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): and cooperate a while at the

[13:35] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): * PLUPP *

[13:35] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): table

[13:35] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): for a while more

[13:35] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): before i go back to MY new production machine

[13:35] herman Bergson: Thank you all again, enjoy your weekend and till next Tuesday :-))

[13:36] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): machine

[13:36] herman Bergson: Class dismissed.....

[13:36] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako):

[13:36] CB Axel: I'll have to look for cooperatives near me. :)

[13:36] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): Thank you Herman, interesting again:)

[13:36] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): aaa yes

[13:36] CB Axel: Thank you, Herman.

[13:37] bergfrau Apfelbaum: thank you Herman and class:-)

[13:37] CB Axel: Ace Hardware stores are a cooperative! I like the little Ace Hardware store near me. :)

[13:37] herman Bergson: Nice...

[13:37] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): oki

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